u/DD_playerandDM

Played B/X as a kid, came back to RPG right before Covid, played and ran 5e for over 4 years. THANKFULLY (oh my god, thank you) found the OSR a few years ago. Fell into Shadowdark and play and run it often. 

I have been a grid guy and a Foundry guy and I have enjoyed those things and what they bring to the table. But in recent months, after playing with some descriptive players, I have really started exploring fiction-first as a player in a far deeper way than I ever did before. And it’s really been eye-opening. And I have also had the pleasure of playing a couple of sessions under a Theater of the Mind GM who just does a tremendous job with it. He knows exactly how to use a real economy of words yet paint a descriptive scene. I tend to be pretty wordy so I greatly admire his effective concision. 

Anyway, I feel like it would be SO easy and so much faster to run TotM sometimes – like with my prep and stuff. So I would love to just get some feedback and advice from people who run this way – what are the things you feel you always need to look out for, what specific types of preparations do you feel you need to make (if any – I feel like running this with random generation through Shadowdark would also work pretty well), what advice do you have for a GM who is new to Theater of the Mind as a possible full session or campaign style? Obviously I have had to run small TotM here or there, as most of us do. 

Hit me and thank you in advance.

I have a lot of experience playing in a couple of West March “campaigns” and running Shadowdark (as well as 5e during a benighted time of my adulthood). I’m looking for a West March setting that is large enough to allow for a lot of breathing room. I’m okay finding modules to pop in or creating my own adventure sites but I want something with at least enough of a skeleton or meat on the bones to provide me with some direction or something to adjust to my own preferences.

 I’m getting ready to run Blackmarsh for some friends in-person, but I’m looking for something different (and probably larger geographically) for some online pop-up West March play. 

Looking for recommendations. 

Thanks.

UPDATE: What's up with Wilderlands of High Fantasy? Google has brought that to my attention but it doesn't seem to be available on DTRPG. Were there some creator issues there?

UPDATE 02: I think I'm just going to run Blackmarsh for both groups. I have gotten over my early reservations regarding that. But it will not be in the "same world."

Thank you to everyone for your time and your recommendations.